


Your Absence Haunts Me More Than Your Ghost

by NecroticAliment



Category: DreamSMP, Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Angst, Derealization, Gen, Graphic Description of Panic/Anxiety Attacks, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Mild Gore, Nightmares, Ranboo Needs a Hug (Video Blogging RPF), Ranboo-centric (Video Blogging RPF), Sad Ranboo (Video Blogging RPF), Self-Hatred, graphic descriptions of death, unintentional self-harm
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-17
Updated: 2021-03-17
Packaged: 2021-03-25 23:07:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,184
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30096522
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NecroticAliment/pseuds/NecroticAliment
Summary: Techno lost one of his canon lives, and Ranboo does not take it well. Phil is trying to cope.
Relationships: ALL PLATONIC, Ranboo & Phil Watson (Video Blogging RPF), Ranboo & Technoblade (Video Blogging RPF)
Comments: 6
Kudos: 248





	Your Absence Haunts Me More Than Your Ghost

**Author's Note:**

> Greetings! This fiction contains heavy topics. PLEASE READ THE TAGS AND WARNINGS. Take care of yourselves!
> 
> (All of the people in this fic are only their characters. NOT THE REAL PEOPLE. If any CCs express discomfort, the fic will immediately be removed)

When a person dies, at first their body will dissolve into a wisp of smoke as their soul is whisked away to an anchor point. The body does not linger long so no one has to watch them become stiffened with time and decay. However, when a person loses their last life. The body remains as there is no longer a tangible soul left to search for an anchor point.

_When Techno died, he did not turn into a foggy wisp like he was supposed to. His body lingered, and the longer it did the more Ranboo's chest seized with icy panic. He barely_ _registered Phil's hand on his shoulder at first. That is until his nails dug into the teen's shoulder drawing blood and a yelp from the Enderian. Despite the pain in his shoulder and the_ _vengeful hand circling his neck with a vice grip, Ranboo does not tear his gaze away from the blank hollow eyes of Techno's. Usually crimson eyes simmering with life and thought,_ _lay dull and empty. Voided of all previous intellect._

_Techno's body should not still be here._

_Techno's body should not be here._

_He had had all his lives prior to this._

_Why wasn't he coming back?_

_Phil's talon-ed hands pierce into Ranboo's neck, claws digging and searching until they've strangulated his jugular._

With a suffocating gasp, the young hybrid shot upright in his bed. Sweat clung to his body, sending irritating and prickling, buzzing sensations over his already sensitive skin. Heterochromatic eyes darted around the darkened room, searching for dull crimson eyes and chasing off the phantom sensation of a claw around his throat. Trembling, the teen crawls out of his warm bed, careful not to accidentally kick Enderchest off from her place curled at the end of his bed. She remained blissfully unaware as she slept. 

Ranboo knows he shouldn't be doing this. He'd managed to startle his mentor enough times with his anxious behavior. However, that does not stop the teen from trudging through the freezing snow at 3 AM to check on Techno. The interior of the cabin was warmer than his own shack, even though the flames had died out long ago. The heat barely clung to the atmosphere, but Ranboo's lanky, chilled frame shook and welcomed the slight warmth. His mind didn't focus on the numbing of his fingers and toes as he climbed the ladder to the attic where his mentor slept. Perhaps it was not the wisest decision to rush over here without any shoes or gloves or any clothing at all besides his pajamas which merely consisted of a sweater and sweats. Self preservation was far from the Enderian's mind, however.

At the top of the ladder, the bi colored teen peeked into the attic. Holding his breath, he climbed as quietly as possible into the room. Cautious, light footsteps padded over to the side of the bed. He would only take a brief peek at his mentor just to be sure he was okay. Ranboo wouldn't linger this time and be caught. Techno did not appreciate waking up to Ranboo staring down at him. Ranboo did not want to be kicked out.

Today was different it seemed. As Ranboo approached the bed, even in the darkened state of the room, the half ender immediately knew something was wrong. 

The bed was empty.

Panic constricted his lungs.

Techno was gone.

=+=+=

Incessant buzzing was _not_ how the bird hybrid wanted to be awoken tonight. With a groan, Phil exhaustedly reached out a hand to grasp the communicator that rested under his pillow. Blearily he glanced out the window, assessing it couldn't be any later than 4 am. The centuries old hybrid opened the little device and was sad to admit he was not surprised to see a plethora of missed messages from Ranboo. 

After Techno lost his first life, Ranboo had been, to put it simply, a mess. The kid could barely sleep and refused to leave his mentor's side. Previously it had been Phil who Ranboo had clung to till Techno's soul reached its anchor point, and he respawned. However, it had been a few months since then, and Ranboo had stopped freaking out at the slightest disappearance of the esteemed warrior. Phil had quietly hoped his days of waking up from his own nightmares to the teens panic were nearly over. 

Clearly he had misjudged. At least Ranboo wasn't explicitly stating that Techno was dead or dying, a quick check of Techno's status on the communicator indicated no deaths. So it seems Ranboo was just experiencing a spiral. With his brain torn between a few more precious hours of much needed rest or his obligation of adulthood to look after his panicking fledgling, Phil chose the later. Admittedly, Phil was too exhausted to properly comfort the kid, but he had been traveling for days upon days searching for mansions to collect totems for Techno. It was his own way of coping with the other's loss of life. 

Eventually, Phil calmed the teen enough that he deemed it safe to return to blissful slumber.

He only lost one hour of sleep from the incident at the very least.

At least that's what he told himself as he continued to toss and turn in the uncomfortable, shitty bed at the inn he bought for the night. 

If something truly was wrong, Phil knew he was too far away to assist, and that's what kept him restless for the entirety of the night, anxiously awaiting a frantic call from a boy too young to be experiencing such trauma again. 

=+=+=

Logically, Ranboo knew that Techno was probably fine. The blood god was completely capable of caring for himself. The Piglin hybrid could take down an army if he chose. Still logic lingered in the back of Ranboo's mind. Panic clung to the forefront. Despite Phil's reassuring words, Ranboo found himself digging through Techno's supplies, ignoring the guilt at ruining the perfect organization for now, in search of a note or missing supplies that would indicate Techno had chosen to leave his home in the dead of night for an impromptu adventure. When nothing turned up missing, Ranboo's anxiety spiraled out of control. His mind flooded with horrendous what ifs, and reality and fiction blurred before him.

_What was he doing here? Where had Techno gone? Why was he left alone? Did they leave him? Was he too annoying? Was Techno dying? Oh god was he injured somewhere bleeding_ _out while Ranboo was sent to get supplies to help him? Had he forgotten something? He felt like he forgot something crucial._

Ice flooded the teen's veins. With a loud, heartbroken screech that sounded distinctly more ender than human, Ranboo crumpled to his knees. Hands gripped black and white locks, claw like nails tearing into his scalp. Black spots danced in the hybrid boy's vison, and he hunched over gasping desperately for sweet air that would never grace his lungs. He was dying. He was gonna die and so was Techno, and it was all his fault. He was stupid stupid stupid. _What was his name? Where was he? Who was he?_ Ranboo didn't know. Choked for proper oxygen and a stabilizing environment, the ender hybrid sunk further into the realms of his mind. His fragile fracturing mind that twisted and warped his reality into impossible truths.

Another wailing sob tore from his throat, echoing loudly - not dissimilar to the cries of his brethren when they died. Ranboo's hands lashed out at the floor, dragging his shaking _useless_ body towards the door. Techno was in danger; he was so certain. Dull crimson eyes. A body unfading and cold. A warrior laid still in the snow. A clawed hand on his neck. Blood blood blood and pain. Desperately Ranboo screeched again, willing his pathetic corpse to move closer to the door. He had to get out. He had to find Techno before it was too late. Claws dug into the floor, leaving bloody streaks into the hardened wood as Ranboo pulled himself to the door.

The snow melted under his hands as he wriggled like a dying worm through it. The ice melting and burning his delicate skin. _Pathetic pathetic pathetic_. Blood erupted from where his skin bubbled and burned from the acidic like water eating away at his flesh. But Ranboo stopped feeling hours ago. A trail of pinkened snow carved out a clear path to the spiraling teen. He had dragged his useless body from the warmth of the dark cabin, screaming till he was hoarse for his mentor. The teen had discovered no sign of the war pig, which only shunted him deeper into a panic.

The swirling darkness and the numbing in his limbs swam over Ranboo. Tears of frustration burned down his frozen cheeks when his hands stopped responding and his body went limp. He couldn't move this worthless form of his any further. His body had shut down around him even as his conscious fought.

=+=+=

To say Techno was surprised to find a bloody trail leaving his cabin would be a lie. The Piglin hybrid could not be surprised by such oddities anymore. Especially not with his . . eccentric neighbor. Sighing in what was clearly frustration at the inconvenience, because he certainly was not worried, of having his beautiful land stained pink, Techno rose to his feet. Previously having crouched down to ensure that it was definitely blood, Techno stood full height, peering out over the landscape as the sun shone in the horizon. With another sigh, the war pig patted his dark, brown horse that stood patiently beside him. Soft puffs of steamy air escaped the beast, indicating the animal's exhaustion from the previous journey. 

"Sorry Carl, seems we aren't don't here yet, heh?" Techno mumbled, patting his loyal steed's neck. 

Swinging back into the saddle, Techno steered the war horse in the direction the trail lead. Together the two rode into the dawn light in search for what was most hopefully not Ranboo in some state of peril.

It did not take long to find the teenager. He had only managed to get a couple miles out before passing out. Techno quietly was impressed the kid managed to get this far. Especially in his lack of proper clothing. Techno most certainly did not panic at the icy cold body of his student, nor the blood crystalized across him. The worst of the frozen blood coming from his cheeks and matted icy chunks of hair. After wrapping the teen in his thick cloak, Techno once more was perched on Carl's back. However, this time he held an eerily still and pale teenager in his arms. Fearful of jostling the kid and further injuring him, Techno found himself forced into patience as his war horse plodded along with an easy gait and sure footsteps. Techno took the time to inform Phil of his discovery.

Ranboo did not wake up for two weeks.

Techno wasn't worried.

=+=+=

Warmth. Warmth greeted the rising conscious of the young hybrid. Heavy, thick, and welcoming warmth that caused violent shivers to wrack over the teens body. Goosebumps riddled the teen's skin as his conscious settled in fully. He trembled under the warmth of the blankets as his body reacted to a warmth it had not known when it had stopped responding. Ranboo awoke to the quiet creaking of a rocking chair and the crackling of a roaring fire. Once his eyes focused, Ranboo tilted his head over to spot Techno gently rocking in a chair near the fireplace, book in hand as he skimmed the pages. The smell of freshly baked bread drifted into the half-ender's senses, and his ears swiveled to pick up the faint sound of humming coming from the kitchen. 

A sneeze is what alerted the other two adult hybrids to Ranboo's awakening. Honestly the teen had not meant to sneeze, but it had happened before he'd had half a mind to stop it. In an instant Phil was at his side, fussing over him and checking his temperature and asking so many questions so quickly that Ranboo's head swam. Techno had leapt to his feet as well, hooves anxiously stamping as a nervous tick he had picked up recently. The war pig managed to ease Phil's anxious hovering enough that Ranboo could focus again. 

Soon enough the half ender was fed warm food and held in the arms of his family. Phil gently running his fingers through his matted hair, and Techno allowing him to rest against his side. 

The hazy warmth of his little family kept Ranboo's mind too muddled with happiness for him to properly remember what had happened in the first place, but figuring that out was for another time. Now, the Enderian focused on the loving embrace of the people he cared about. If loud purrs rumbled from the young teen, neither adults mentioned it, and if Phil's soft chirps filled the air with song, no one mentioned it, and if Techno draped an arm over his student protectively, not a word was spoken about it.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you all enjoyed!


End file.
